Conocarpus erectus L. is a fast growing tree, drought resistant and it is widely planted throughout Saudi Arabia around parking lots and along the streets. It constitutes a renewable resource that could be used as a source of raw materials required for several uses. However, no data were available about its wood quality. This study was established to investigate the effect of plant spacing on s...

The degree of crystallinity of cellulose was used for assessing the degradation level of coated and uncoated samples of pine wood after weathering. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy measured the changes in the surface crystallinity of cellulose resulting from weathering, both natural and artificial. Both techniques revealed an increase in the crystallin...

The designated fiber stress values published in the American National Standards Institute Standard for Poles, ANSI O5.1, no longer reflect the state of the knowledge. These values are based on a combination of test data from small clear wood samples and small poles (<55 ft (<17 m)) and field experience up to the time of adoption of the standard in 1965. A number of changes over the past 35 year...

Lignocellulose forms the structural framework of woody plant biomass and represents the most abundant carbon source in the biosphere. Turnover of woody biomass is a critical component of the global carbon cycle, and the enzymes involved are of increasing industrial importance as industry moves away from fossil fuels to renewable carbon resources. Shipworms are marine bivalve molluscs that diges...

The chemical composition of lipophilic extractives from process waters throughout a totally chlorine free (TCF) bleaching sequence after kraft pulping of eucalypt wood has been studied. These compounds are among the most problematic wood constituents for both TCF and zero liquid effluent (ZLE) processes, since they tend to accumulate in circuits resulting in the formation of the so-called pitch...

Logging industry is a fast-growing business regardless of the many risks involved. The procedures used to harvest wood are tree-length, full-length and cut-to-length logging. Choosing one over the other is simply a matter of choice since there are advantages and disadvantages with each of the various methods. The removal of too many trees from the forest can cause environmental hazards as well ...

Current economical situation in Finnish forest industry desperately calls for higher degree of efficiency in all stages of the production chain. The competitiveness of timber-based products directly and heavily depends on the raw material cost. At the same time, the successes of companies, that use timber, determine the volumes of the raw wood consumption and, therefore, drive forest markets. H...

Newly announced North American bioenergy projects will likely increase the demand for woody biomass substantially over the next five to ten years. High harvesting and transportation costs for woody biomass from forests are commonly identified as key constraints to expanding this new industry and meeting expected wood fiber demand. In addition to a cost-competitive feedstock, wood energy facilit...

Wood darkening and kiln brown stain (KBS) in kiln drying has caused significant economic loss to the wood processing industry which. Although extensive studies have been performed, feasible drying techniques have not yet been developed to economically produce bright, pale colour wood from commercial drying. The current work research has been conducted to dry radiata pine sapwood in hot air and ...

BACKGROUND Economic impact assessment of invasive species requires integration of information on pest entry, establishment and spread, valuation of assets at risk and market consequences at large spatial scales. Here we develop such a framework and demonstrate its application to the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, which threatens the European forestry industry. The effect of spat...